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Treyarch and publisher Activision Blizzard announced today when players can expect to get their shot at the private beta experience for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. There will actually be two different beta phases, one for the regular multiplayer modes and another for the battle royale-based Blackout mode.

"This is an exciting opportunity for us at Treyarch because – not only are we putting more content into players' hands earlier than ever before – we get to break new ground by hosting two separate Beta experiences," said Treyarch co-studio head Dan Bunting. “Games are better when they’re a result of a dialogue with our community. Not only does it improve the game’s quality, but it allows us to respond to player feedback and custom-craft the experience to how players engage most with the game."

The multiplayer beta starts first in August, with PlayStation 4 getting a week's lead time on other platforms. The beta will involve six maps across five different game modes, including Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and the new objective-based Control. All players will get a unique calling card for participating in the beta and if you achieve max rank, you'll get an unlock token for the game's Create-A-Class content. The full multiplayer schedule is as follows:

PlayStation 4 (Starts: August 3 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 6 at 10am/PT)

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (Starts: August 10 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 13 at 10am/PT)

PC Beta Early Access (Starts: August 10 at 10am/PT) *PC exclusively on Battle.Net

PC Open Beta (Starts: August 11 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 13 at 10am/PT)

The Blackout beta doesn't have an exact start date yet, but it'll kick off in September. Like the multiplayer beta, PlayStation 4 owners will get a head start.

"The team has been having a ridiculous amount of fun playing it internally. We are so excited to be able to share that fun with you in September. The community feedback generated from going hands-on is always incredibly important, and it’s never been more so than with Blackout," said Treyarch senior producer Yale Miller.

Access to the private beta experiences requires a private beta code from pre-ordering Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 at a participating retailer. For more on how to access the beta, hit up our Black Ops 4 beta guide.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 12, 2018.

M.H. Williams is new to the journalism game, but he's been a gamer since the NES first graced American shores. Third-person action-adventure games are his personal poison: Uncharted, Infamous, and Assassin's Creed just to name a few. If you see him around a convention, he's not hard to spot: Black guy, glasses, and a tie.